


O Tannenbaum

by andthestarsthatshine



Category: The Mindy Project
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-25
Updated: 2013-12-25
Packaged: 2018-01-06 03:39:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1101965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andthestarsthatshine/pseuds/andthestarsthatshine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny goes with Mindy to pick up the Christmas tree. Requested by forthisistheprize on tumblr</p>
            </blockquote>





	O Tannenbaum

Mindy heard a knock at her door at an ungodly hour and grumbled slightly as she slid off her bed. The knocking got louder as she slowly made her way to the door. She was going to take her sweet time, damnit.

She swung the door open to find Danny standing there with a coffee for both of them.

'Did you just get up?' he asked while making his way past Mindy, not even waiting for an invitation.

'Ugh. Why the hell do you get up so early?! I can't believe you're one of those weird morning people.'

'Hey, you were the one who insisted that I come with you to pick up the tree. So get going. Shower. Now.'

'God, Danny, you're such a dictator.'

'Yeah, yeah. Now go.'

'Can I have my coffee first?'

'No.'

'Danny!'

'Go.'

'But it'll get cold!'

'Well, if you were ready now that wouldn't be a problem, would it?'

She narrowed her eyes at him and defiantly marched over to where her coffee was sitting on the counter. She went to grab for it before Danny moved it out of reach.

'FINE!' With that she stomped off in the direction of her bathroom as Danny sat by her kitchen island with a smirk on his face.

* * *

'How about that one?'

'Danny. That looks like it's older than you. And you're practically ancient.'

'HEY!'

'What?'

'You want my help or not?'

She considered for a moment. 'Fine, ok. I'm sorry.'

'Thank you.'

'Oooh! That one looks perfect!'

'Mindy, that won't even fit through the damn door. And it's way too tall.'

'Killjoy.'

'I-'

'Ok, how about that one?'

'Yeah. Yeah that looks alright.' Danny went over to ask about the price and Mindy could see his hands flailing about in exasperation before he came back over to her.

'What?'

'I'm not paying that kind of money for a damn tree.'

'Danny! Don't be such a grinch! How much is it?'

'$750.'

'WHAT?!'

Danny simply nodded at her.

'That's ridiculous! For some stupid tree?'

'Yeah. Let's just get that little one there.'

'Are you kidding me, Castellano? That's a twig. There isn't even a lot of green on that tree!'

'It's still a tree!'

'It's supposed to be evergreen! And that's a little hard to tell when that tree is less covered up than Miley Cyrus in her Wrecking Ball video!'

'Who?'

'Danny! Don't you know who she is! She's an idol for people like me who are tired of being told what to do by society's impossible standards-'

'Oh boy.'

'-she's the kind of person women all over the world should aspire to! Do you think I could pull off her haircut?'

'I don't-'

'Here.' She took out her phone. 'I'll show you a picture.'

'What? No! I-wait, why is she sticking her tongue out like that? And is she at the beach or something?'

'I don't know, that's her thing. Like a trademark. And, no, she is not at a beach. She's at her album launch.'

'Dressed like that?! Are you kidding me right now?!'

'Ugh, Danny. You're too old and out of touch to understand the youth of today.'

Danny was about to retort when the man he spoke to earlier cleared his throat and asked whether they were going to buy something.

* * *

'Danny! You said you were going to help!'

'Nope.'

'Come on!'

'No. I specifically told you that tree was too much but you went ahead and bought it. You find a way to carry it. It's the only way you'll learn.'

She glared at him as best she could with a tree strapped to her back. 'I will end you, Castellano.' And with that she lost her balance and toppled forward on to the pavement, unable to get up with the weight of the tree.

Danny quickly rushed over to her, kneeling beside her. 'Min, are you ok?'

'Yeah. Fine.' She tried getting up but she wasn't have much luck.

'Here. Let me help you.'

'Oh  _now_ you want to help!'

'Mindy.'

'No. It's ok, Danny. I can get up myself.'

Danny sighed and stood up again, waiting for her to prove him wrong.

'Danny?'

'Yeah?'

'I can't get up.'

He chuckled at her and quickly helped her to her feet.

* * *

They were en route to the practice, both holding the tree under their arms when Mindy spoke up again.

'You know, Danny, this is like  _When Harry Met Sally_. They carry the tree like this every Christmas. Well, except for one Christmas when Sally has to-'

'Mindy, stop. I would hate for you to spoil the ending for me,' Danny deadpanned.

Mindy seemed to miss his tone of voice as her face lit up and she exclaimed 'But Danny, you've already seen it! You know, when Billy Crystal runs through the streets of New York on New Year's Eve when he realises that he's in love with-'

'Yeah I remember, I remember.' He wasn't exactly lying. He  _did_ remember. Vaguely.

* * *

Danny came over to eat lunch with Mindy in her office, as had become a sort of tradition with the two of them.

'So this movie.  _When Larry Met Sarah_ -'

'It's Harry and Sally. Honestly, Danny.'

'-they-they end up together, right?'

'Yeah.'

'And they're the ones carrying the tree, right?'

'Yeah!'

'And they're friends first, right?'

'Yeah. They hate each other at first-'

Danny looked up at that.  _We hated each other at first_.

'-then they meet again and still don't really like each other-'

_Well, it certainly took us a while to become-_

'-but then they became friends-'

_-friends. Oh shit._

'-really close friends actually. Then they fell in love. Isn't it romantic, Danny? Falling in love with your best friend?'

_I fell in love with my best friend and I'm just waiting for the moment-_

'I wish that would happen to me! Wouldn't that be great?'

Danny just stared at her before throwing his head against her desk.

'Danny?'

He wordlessly got up and left her office. Mindy was left confused and it didn't take her long to follow him into his office.

'Danny?'

'Yeah?'

'What was all that about?'

'Nothing. I just realised that I had a lot of paperwork to do, so...'

'Danny.'

'What?'

'No, it's fine. I'm just-I have a lot of work to do. That's all.'

'But there's more to the story!'

'What? I get it. They hated each other, they became friends, really close friends, then they fell in love. I get it.' Danny took a sip of his coffee.

'No but after they became close friends and before they fell in love, they had sex-'

Danny almost choked as coffee sprayed out of his mouth of its own accord. 'What?' He tried to ignore the crack in his voice.

'You ok?'

'Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Anyway, get out of here, I've got work to do.' He opened up a random file and she stood up to leave.

Before opening the door, she turned back and said, 'Danny?'

'Yeah?'

'That file's upside down.'

She walked out as he tried to stop the flood of heat spreading across his cheeks.

* * *

At the end of the day, Danny walked out of his office to find Mindy staring at the tree they had brought in earlier.

'Min, what are you doing here?'

She jumped a little at his voice before turning slightly and smiling at him. 'Hey Danny. Doesn't it look beautiful?'

'Yeah. Yeah it does.' She had turned back to face the tree before she could catch that he was looking at her more than the tree.

He cleared his throat for what felt like the thousandth time that day. 'So, er, what are your plans tonight?'

'Oh nothing. Just catching up on some Real Housewives or something. You got any plans?'

'No, nothing.'

'Well, you should come over!'

Danny could swear his heart nearly stopped. 'What?'

'Come on, I could do with the company! And I wouldn't want you getting lonely and have weird sex with your neighbour again!'

'Hey!'

She threaded her arm through his and tugged at him to walk with her.

* * *

'Danny! You would not believe this!  _When Harry Met Sally_ is on!'

'Excellent,' Danny said dryly.

'Sit.' She held out one end of her blanket towards him as he sat down next to her.

He quickly found that being with her like this was enough for now. He let go of any need to comment on the movie and just sat there enjoying her company.

She, on the other hand, kept her commentary going when she wasn't mouthing along to the dialogue.

Through the film, she ended up closer to him, her head resting on his shoulder. He realised she was asleep when he heard her lightly snoring. It both warmed and terrified him how used to this he could get as he placed a kiss atop her head before resting his own head on hers and letting sleep take over.


End file.
